In Memoriam

We Remember

Sister Maris Stella Beaufait, the seventh child of Joseph E. and Matilda Ida Louise (Couchez) Beaufait, was born on October 24, 1922, in Grosse Pointe, Michigan.

She was baptized Mary Jane in honor of her paternal grandmother, Mary Jane Lennon. In her autobiography, Sister Maris Stella wrote:

My mother and father both came from farming families. My father was the fifth generation of Beaufaits in the Detroit area. Louis Beaufait, my great, great, great grandfather, was born in France in 1733 and came to Detroit in 1761. He played an important part in the early history of the city. His son, Louis, who was a colonel in the War of 1812, was the owner of a farm which bordered the Detroit River and extended back across Gratiot Road. Beaufait Avenue in Detroit was a part of what was his farm.

My mother was raised on a farm in St. Clair Shores at [what is now] Thirteen Mile Road and Harper. Mother came from a large family, six boys and six girls. Only one of my uncles married and he late in life. They all worked on the farm and my Aunt Margaret kept house for them.

Our Adrian Dominican cemetery with its circular headstones is a beautiful place of rest for women who gave their lives in service to God—and a peaceful place for contemplation and remembrance.

We will post memorial reflections on our faithfully departed Sisters and Associates. If you would like to reflect on a Sister or Associate who has gone before us, please send your reflections – no more than 500 to 600 words – to
.